Monday, June 30, 2014

The Little Magnet That Could!


Check out the super-conducting magnet in the pic.   This golf ball sized magnet has a secret.  It is how much magnetic force this little wonder can generate.  It can develop a force greater than that of an MRI machine or say 3 thousand time greater than a fridge magnet.  In the science world it produces a magnetic field of 17.6 Tesla or in terms easier to understand....3.3 TONS!   Needless to say, this monster set a new worlds record by annihilating the previous holder by 0.4 Tesla.

Now if your mind wasn't already blown....check out how the magnet was formed, from the Gizmodo article:
  • This new magnet was created by growing gadolinium barium copper oxide  very carefully and slowly, into a single grain that measured an inch in diameter. Then, the sample was reinforced before being pumped with current to generate the magnetic field; without that reinforcement, the sample could have torn itself apart.
Unbelievable or what?!  The really remarkable discovery is in the manufacturing of a single crystal, one inch in diameter.  The process is called "melt processing" and as the article points out...it is a fairly simple process.  The implications are astounding.  From super efficient energy recovery systems, to efficient and inexpensive mass transit systems.

 Gizmodo article HERE


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